Virtual SIM cards, a new challenge for security agencies in Kashmir
| Date :05-Oct-2020 |
SRINAGAR :
A detailed investigation by the NIA and other security agencies indicates that over 40 virtual SIM cards were used in the Pulwama attack alone
VIRTUAL SIM cards pose a new headache for security agencies fighting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as their use in the Valley has seen an increase among terror groups to connect with their handlers in Pakistan, officials said here.
The penetration of this new technology was found in 2019 when a request was sent to the United States to seek details from a service provider of “virtual SIMs” used by suicide bomber of JeM terror group involved in the Pulwama attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead. However, a detailed investigation done by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other security agencies indicated that over 40 virtual SIM cards were used in the Pulwama attack alone, and there are probably more of them floating in the cyberspace of the Valley. It is a fairly new modus operandi wherein terrorists are using “virtual SIM” cards, generated by a service provider from a foreign country.
In this technology, the computer generates a telephone number and the user downloads an application of the service provider on their smartphone. Technology has its pros and cons, and while fighting terrorism, the security agencies have to not only keep up the pace but also move a step ahead of those planning to misuse it, says an official.